The magical laurel oil

Symbol of poetry, sacred for artists, laurel is also a symbol of magic and necromancy : wizards wreathed crowns of laurel branches on their heads, and leaves were adorned with clothes and dresses. In the province of Palermo a beautiful laurel branch before a door is always a tavern or tavern sign, and where there is a bay there is always a good glass of wine! Its scientific name is Laurus nobilis and is part of the Lauraceae family . In Italy, laurel is a plant that is used mainly in the kitchen, to flavor ragù, soups, meats and sausages and added to boiled chestnuts. But elsewhere it is also used for cosmetics and for the healing and medicinal properties of its leaves and berries.

The different uses of laurel oil

• Soaps . If you like to experiment with DIY even with bubbles and detergents, a good recipe is just soap with bay oil. Everyone uses it in Aleppo and, once tried, it is difficult to return to the bottle. It can be prepared both in the solid and liquid version.

• Herbal teas and decoctions . By chopping up some dried bay leaves and putting them in a cup of boiling water, you get an excellent infusion which, when drunk hot before going to bed, makes you sweat profusely, managing to reduce the symptoms of flu and cold. The same infusion sipped after meals, succeeds, thanks to the contained essences, to facilitate the digestion and to eliminate the annoying intestinal gases. When drunk first, it stimulates the appetite and strengthens the stomach.

• Invigorating powder . The powder obtained from perfectly dried laurel berries, taken in the dose of a teaspoon per day, perhaps chisa in a foodstuff if the taste is too strong, is an effective remedy for colds, nervous diseases, paralysis, stomach weaknesses and intestinal gases.

Laurel oil among natural products for shaving beards

• Massage oil. Massaged on the aching part of the body, it serves to soothe rheumatic spasms or to facilitate the resumption of the use of the joints after casts or traumas of various kinds. If diluted in vegetable oil, as sweet almond oil, and massaged on the belly, it performs a relaxing action on the smooth muscles of the gastrointestinal system. Useful in the presence of spasms, irritable bowel and to eliminate the gases that cause meteorism and flatulence.

• Aromatherapy . Laurel oil is a true stimulant, it strengthens concentration and memory and calms anxiety and fear. This is why it is very useful in case of exhaustion, fatigue and stress. It is also good for the environment: by putting a drop in the essential oil burner it helps eliminate insects .

• Skin and hair care . It is a natural rebalancing of the skin, regulates the sebaceous balance and prevents acne and inflammation. It is also an effective remedy for strengthening and preventing hair loss. If rubbed with regularity and constancy on the scalp, it stimulates the microcirculation, favoring its nourishment and oxygenation.

But how do you get laurel oil?

The oil is obtained by using crushed berries and macerated in half a liter of pure olive oil. But let's take a step back: when are the berries harvested? Generally between late October and early November, well ripe. They are left to dry in a basket for about two months, in a ventilated and dry place, turning them often. When they become lighter and drier, they are kept in paper bags, away from damp and mold. To make the powder, just crush them in a wooden or stone mortar, once powdered, put them in an airtight glass jar and keep them for months.

Warning: laurel essential oil has contraindications in pregnancy and should be used in moderation, because at high doses it can be narcotic or cause dermatitis.